Well....... here we go.

[supercar1of1]

No matter who runs the country it is evident that the old notion, "you can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time," is always in in full effect. Being commander in chief is a tough job that I certainly wouldn't want.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B][/QUOTE]



I thought it was,"You can FOOL some of the people all the time and all

the people some of the time, but not all the people all the time."

How's it going? Man it's late!

 

[Venom Power]

Okay so I fidangled the words around a tad just to make a point.. HAHA.. Yeah it's late.. FOR YOU.. I'm currently 7 hours ahead of central standard time.. I'm in Norway just coming back from lunch. VTCoA is one of the only places, other than shopping on eBay, that I come to frequently to make me have a sense of home when I am out of the country. *sniff*.. I miss you guys...

 

[Venom Power]

Hey super, I meant to ask you.. Are you going to attend the Panama City GTG this September?

 

[bigike]

got you beat! 13 hours ahead! In yo face, In yo face!

 

[supercar1of1]

Hey super, I meant to ask you.. Are you going to attend the Panama City GTG this September?

I'm going to try, my only living relative lives near there, but my health is

not good and I go day to day. Can't gripe though because I was 45 and

had maybe two colds in my life, then crashed my bike and broke nearly

every bone. After that the old bod just seemed to go down kind of fast.

Doc say's I'm tough though because I drove myself to the hospital when

I had my first two heart attacks. Other than that I,m in great shape and

really enjoy yacking with what seems to be as fine a group of people as

you could ever meet. Question: Is that barber shop near you over there?

 

[Venom Power]

I have no clue about a barber shop in Stavanger or Tananger (which is precisely where I am right now). I've been cutting my own hair since I was 15 so truthfully I don't know of any barber shops anywhere.. AT ALL..

 

[Venom Power]

got you beat! 13 hours ahead! In yo face, In yo face!

Dang dude you're pretty much close to tomorrow already. My yesterday, todays and tomorrows blend in together since I don't have any real nighttime darkness at my locality.. :stoned:I've been living in one looong day since Sunday.

 

[Venom Power]

I'm going to try, my only living relative lives near there, but my health is

not good and I go day to day. Can't gripe though because I was 45 and

had maybe two colds in my life, then crashed my bike and broke nearly

every bone. After that the old bod just seemed to go down kind of fast.

Doc say's I'm tough though because I drove myself to the hospital when

I had my first two heart attacks. Other than that I,m in great shape and

really enjoy yacking with what seems to be as fine a group of people as

you could ever meet.

You sure are a "super" trooper.. That's a lot to be through and still have the ability to talk about it like it's all just merely an experience. My azz would have :argh: complaining about a really bad smokers cough... And I don't even smoke..

 

[Prof]

...as some employees drive up the premiums by being smokers or being very overweight. We all pay for that... which brings up the question if the govt can outlaw smoking and drinking for the good of the population at large? I hope not. Joe

A wonderful point about accountability.

There is a wave of change happening in the work place. Those that are morbidly obese and smokers are being identified and charged additional for their risk behavior. Smokers and people who do not control their weight are known to be a huge adverse impact on the risk pool. To soften that businesses are laying down the law about those two issues. Like it or not, if you are overweight or if you smoke you will be singled out and penalized for behavior that affects others.

Long ago, I urged BCBS to establish risk standards according to BMI (Body Mass Index), smoker/non-smoker, and activity level.
The concept was to accept all employees within established standards, and provide the option to the employer to charge those who were not within the scope of the standard or pay an additional premium for those who did not fall into the standard...that was 25 years ago...and only now we are seeing movement in that direction. I also wanted to create BCBS health facilities that focused on prevention and life style change to encourage exercise and weight control...and provide financial incentives to companies that had significant employee participation in those fitness programs...

But, alas, I was told to shut up and not be so radical...

 

[Venom Power]

Well then being overweight pretty much points at a lot of people on this forum. Better get some sit ups in tonight..

 

[OCBob]

It is interesting... I don't have any health insurance either. But, I don't complain that someone needs to come to my rescue. My wisdom teeth have needed removed for over 5 years now. I get migraines every day from them pushing on my other teeth. But, I keep them clean, and try to hold out until I can afford to get them removed. Sarah doesn't have health care either. She does have "needs" that need to be addressed and goes to the clinic regularly. Even though it's a "free" clinic, she still has to pay because she "makes too much money" (read: she has a job). She doesn't complain either... it's cheaper than paying $400/month in insurance ($1200/month for both of us). Unemployed folks, and poverty stricken families have many options, in bigger cities, for health care needs... There are free clinics everywhere. These clinics (at least here, and in MI) are staffed by Doctors that have there own practice and volunteer their time in a rotation. Sure, you may have to wait a while in the waiting room, but we can't have it all now can we. Me and Sarah have had excellent care, when we needed it, through these clinics... we had to pay... but, it was cheaper than lining some HMO's pockets.

I'm not complaining that someone needs to come to my rescue as you put it, I never have needed anyone to rescue me and I never will. Hell, I could probably get some kind of gov't $$ assitance now, but I don't take handouts. I've taken care of myself and my family through desperate times now and in the past, and will do so in the future if need be.

I was making a point, which you inadvertently helped me make. It isn't just the migrant workers and inner-city dwellers that are suffering through being uninsured. There are others on this board that are also effected by this very thing right now, and there are others here that have been in the past.

Another thing that might be worth thinking about is that these very folks that many seem so willing to throw under the bus, those at the bottom end of the socio-economic structure, are the ones that end up sending their kids off to battle to protect yours. Not too many rich kids sitting up on the front lines. We all make sacrifices, it can't all be counted by the tax dollars you send the IRS.

In my view, a nation is more than just a bunch of people living on the same piece of dirt. It is something that I can't even put into words. It is something worth sacrificing and dieing for, and so are it's citizens. It is a "one for all, and all for one" scenario. It shouldn't be us vs. them when it comes to our own countrymen. Because that's not a nation. And that's why I've always been for universal health care in this country, always. Even when I was paying obscene amounts of taxes.

 

[ntw0rk]

Bob, I did not mean to upset anyone here, but in my opinion you being out of work and hurting right now, doesn't fall into the category of people that leech off of the system that I was talking about. The difference is simple; you can, are and will look for ways to improve your situation. And, you have only been out of work for a (relatively) short time, so your health hasn't adversely been affected by that. I am in that boat right now too....


Roy, your post on UHC was great! It really did explain it better than I have heard it explained before. While I am not completely convinced, I am at least open to the idea if it is instituted the right way. That DOES NOT mean that a Obama/Clinton ticket will get my vote.... no way.

 

[OCBob]

Yeah Scotty, my health hasn't been affected, but when I had insurance my kids got checkups, shots, you know the whole nine yards. That isn't the case anymore. Matter of fact, just so happens that this morning I need to take my 7 year old to the doc. He has what appears to be a spider bite which is continuing to get worse. I'm sure it's gonna cost a decent chunk of change, and it's not like we have a bunch of extra laying around, but gotta do what we gotta do.

And I truly believe that universal healthcare in this country is an attainable goal. In fact, I'll go one step further, I not only think it is a worthy expenditure, I look at it as more like an investment. A healthy society is a productive society. We will spend less on preventing disease than treating disease. It just makes sense to me.

I'm not saying that the plans that have been put forth are any good. To be honest, I really haven't seen any particulars of Clinton's or Obama's plans. I am saying there is a way to do this. We have some smart people in this country, this can be figured out.

 

[Prof]

...Roy, your post on UHC was great! It really did explain it better than I have heard it explained before. While I am not completely convinced, I am at least open to the idea if it is instituted the right way. That DOES NOT mean that a Obama/Clinton ticket will get my vote.... no way.

Never my intention to convince anyone...just to provide additional data to be considered.

There are often so many misconceptions about everything, that I spend a lot of time just trying to understand, and then to convey what I believe to be accurate data, so others can consider and decide for themselves...

There are some in the health care field that believe that access to health care is "a right not a privilege...", and I agree to a point...but there will always be those that can get care above and beyond 'reasonable and customary', and that is our way of life. I argue that we need to raise the level that can be accessed by all...but we cannot give away the farm in the process...there I go being a social liberal and fiscal conservative again!

 

[supercar1of1]

I have no clue about a barber shop in Stavanger or Tananger (which is precisely where I am right now). I've been cutting my own hair since I was 15 so truthfully I don't know of any barber shops anywhere.. AT ALL..

If we ever meet up I will explain my attitude on health.

I was being facetious about the barber shop. Click on the link below posted

by NTWORK and you will see why.


http://www.popgive.com/2008/05/best-...alon-ever.html


Well Never mind, looks like they removed it.

 

[supercar1of1]

Yeah Scotty, my health hasn't been affected, but when I had insurance my kids got checkups, shots, you know the whole nine yards. That isn't the case anymore. Matter of fact, just so happens that this morning I need to take my 7 year old to the doc. He has what appears to be a spider bite which is continuing to get worse. I'm sure it's gonna cost a decent chunk of change, and it's not like we have a bunch of extra laying around, but gotta do what we gotta do.

And I truly believe that universal healthcare in this country is an attainable goal. In fact, I'll go one step further, I not only think it is a worthy expenditure, I look at it as more like an investment. A healthy society is a productive society. We will spend less on preventing disease than treating disease. It just makes sense to me.

I'm not saying that the plans that have been put forth are any good. To be honest, I really haven't seen any particulars of Clinton's or Obama's plans. I am saying there is a way to do this. We have some smart people in this country, this can be figured out.

There are only two types of venomous spider here Black widow& Brown recluse, if it was the latter you need to get him medical care ASAP!!!!!

 

[Venom Power]

If we ever meet up I will explain my attitude on health.

Now I'm curious.. about the barber shop comment. I'll be looking forward to a sit down duscussion with you on everything.

 

[supercar1of1]

Now I'm curious.. about the barber shop comment. I'll be looking forward to a sit down duscussion with you on everything.

MR. NTWORK!!! Find that link and repost here please.

 

[OCBob]

There are only two types of venomous spider here Black widow& Brown recluse, if it was the latter you need to get him medical care ASAP!!!!!

At this point we are working under the assumption that it was most likely a black widow. We have quite a few of them around here. Got some heavy duty anti-biotics we just picked up. Hope they tame it pretty quick. If not we have to be back at the doc's on Monday.

And of course, they weren't included with the $4 scripts at Wal-mart, but I expected that heheh.

 

[Black1]

At this point we are working under the assumption that it was most likely a black widow. We have quite a few of them around here. Got some heavy duty anti-biotics we just picked up. Hope they tame it pretty quick. If not we have to be back at the doc's on Monday.

And of course, they weren't included with the $4 scripts at Wal-mart, but I expected that heheh.

Hope your little buddy feels better soon, Bob.